wedding reception

[beeniesmom]

HIIIII! Remember me?
I need your help gang.
I am helping to cater my nephews wedding reception and I need some ideas of for foods/dishes that are easy to transport and can be served cold.
I live over two hours away from them so I'll have to fill all my coolers!
It's still in the planning stages so I am not sure how many people it will be for (I think around 80-100).
All I know is that the reception will be outdoors and hope it won't rain.
Any suggestions will be appreciated!

[kittycats_delight]

Are you up for some italian dishes? I have been going nuts on the italian cooking since I have been her and have found some great cold dishes. let me know what is a definate no and I will see what I can come up with. Also is it going to be a buffet or sit down? That way I can figure it out maybe a little better.

[beeniesmom]

You forget Michelle.... I am an Italian cook hehe!
Seriously, I thought about making some pans of "al forno" or "risotto" but it's probably going to be a buffet type thing. I don't know if I'll have a place to reheat anything so for now, it's just ideas of what "you would like to eat" at a buffet style wedding.

[kittycats_delight]

I remember you are italian.

I have been seeing and trying some pretty nice cold antipasti. Last summer it was too hot to cook for the most part so in the evening when it would cool down I would make somethings to eat for the next day.

we made these great little bit size thingys called 'profitterols piccanti' they were served cold and so good

and also pasta fredda I think we lived on that and insalata di riso.

crostini and pane of course

even maybe do a couple of turkeys and slice them and they can be served cold.

I will dig through some of my recipe books as I made these amazing little crab things awhile ago and they were also served cold

[Vela]

Serve a mozzarella and grape or cherry tomato salad with fresh basil and some olive oil with balsamic. Supposed to sever cold and SO yummy, plus nothing that will really spoil. Use that really soft mozz, i love that stuff.

Pasta salads are always good too, IMO. I love them. Not with mayo but with a light oil/veingar or Italian style dressing and some pesto.

[Marigold2]

Cabbage crunch salad. I have made this several times and it is always a great hit. I have never had so many people ask me for a recipe.

Here it is.
1/2 Silverd Almonds
1/4 Cup Seseme Seeds
1/2 Cup of Veggie Oil
1 Tablespoon Sugar
3 Tablespoons White Vinager
4 Greens Onions Chopped
1 Packet of Ramen Chicken Noodles
Salt & Pepper
One head of raw cabbage

Start by shredding cabbage
Put the almonds in the oven at 350* on baking dish
do not use any type of cooking oil or spray. Almonds take about 5 minutes to get crunchy.
Put seseme seeds in a frying pan, no oil or butter. Leave them in there for about 3 minutes, make sure they don't burn.
Cut green onions
Break Ramen Noodles into small pieces. Put it bowl with cabbage, seseme seeds, almonds and onions.
Use the flavor packet that comes with the Ramen noodles to make sauce. Wisk together the oil, vinager, salt, pepper, sugar and Ramen powder. Pour over cabbage. You can put in fridge or leave out. Salad will be fresh for about 8 hours. It is the bomb.

[Kfamr]

Do you have access to an oven where you're going? If so... Bruchettas!!

They are ALWAYS a hit and so easy. We made a big tray of them on Friday when we had .Sarah and her dad for dinner, they all disappeared.

[kittycats_delight]

Just found this amazing easy little recipe.
It's called Tortine con pollo e spinaci. it is only for 4 people so adjust accordingly.

You will need

4 squares of pasta sfoglia about 12 cms
120 gr mozzarella
35 gr fresh spinach leaves
1 large chicken breast
3 tbsp of olive oil

heat the oven to 250. while oven is heating heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan and add chicken sprinkle with salt and pepper. cook the chicken breast (brown the exterior) about 5 minutes or so each side. remove and cut breast into 8 slices.
slice the mozzarella (or grate if you prefer)
place the pasta sfoglia on a cookie sheet covered with wax- paper.
split the spinach leaves in 4 equal parts. place ontop of pasta sfoglia.
place 2 pieces of chicken onto of each spinach bed and then add mozzarella ontop of the chicken.
now brush the exposed pasta sfoglia with remaining olive oil.
place in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pasta sfoglia is lightly browned and mozzarella is melted.

Let cool and then serve.

for a different flavor add some squash. Simply slice squash is small slices and put in oven with some olive oil. Bake for about 15 minutes until they are crispy and place beneath the spinach as a first layer ontop of the pasta sfoglia.


I will keep searching but this looked so good and simple too.

[beeniesmom]

Oh Man!
Great idea guys! All of them. I will print this thread and keep when I talk with the bride to be.
I was thinking bruschetta too.... Hopefully I'll have an oven at least.... or a grill of some kind.
Michelle, those profitterole piccanti sound good. How do you make them.
Insalata di Riso is a great idea!
thanks yall!

[kittycats_delight]

I am going to type up and scan the pics of a few nice recipes I found. I will do it up in word and then I can either post them here or email then to you. Whatever you prefer. Look for them around the end of the day.

[finn's mom]

Fruits are always a good thing to have and veggie trays...I know those are boring and you probably already thought of them...I just wanted to post and say hi because I miss you on here! (Not that I am on here a ton...some lately, though!) Sounds like fun, I hope the reception is on a good weather day!

[Lobodeb]

One thing I saw on Food TV was bread sticks wrapped in panchetta. You could also do fruit skewers with an easy caramel dipping sauce. The fruit is so colorful and looks great on a plate.

[Cataholic]

Serve a mozzarella and grape or cherry tomato salad with fresh basil and some olive oil with balsamic. Supposed to sever cold and SO yummy, plus nothing that will really spoil. Use that really soft mozz, i love that stuff.

WAH!!!!! I was just going to suggest that, too. I love it!

[Vela]

LOL great minds think alike! Have you ever tried that on a sandwich? Use the chiabatta bread, yum!